Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League
Premier Division
Jon Wragg is thrilled with the attacking options available to him at Ecclesfield Red Rose 1915.
That’s hardly surprising as Ecclesfield have scored 16 times in four games and Wragg has further strengthened his armoury in the past seven days.
“We have signed a lad called Luke Beedham from Jubilee and he played at Hepworth,” Wragg told Non League Yorkshire.
“He’s played at Swallownest in NCEL under Jordan Stocks and he’s a good player and I played with him at Parkgate when he was coming through as a young lad when 18 or 19.
“I then played with him for a Sunday League team four or five years ago,
“He’s a good signing and another forward.
“We only had Jacob Rickards earlier in the season and he got a suspension and we had no-one (upfront).
“We have since managed to sign Reety, Ed Bollington who got his first two goals at Hepworth and now Luke Beedham.
“So we’re pretty much covered going forward and we’re overflowing with forwards.”
‘Reety’ is former Mansfield Town striker Daniel Reet who has made a comeback to Saturday football.
Reet played in the Football League for Mansfield before dropping into Non League Football and playing for the likes of Buxton and Dinnington Town.
Wragg has been pleased with his impact.
“He’s only played three games and he’s got six goals in three games,” he said.
“He got one at Swinton, two against Sheffield Town and three at Hepworth so I’m expecting four on Saturday!
“He has been brilliant for us.
“Every chance he’s had he has buried which is what I expected from him.
“I don’t think he has played Saturdays since maybe when he was at Dinnington Town about ten years ago.
“He plays Sundays and he’s played for a lot of Sunday teams in Sheffield and still scores a lot of goals.
“He can’t play every week as he goes to Sheff United games as he’s a season ticket holder with his family.
“We’re lucky to have him and available when United aren’t playing.
“But he’s a great asset and he’s great in the changing room.
“I played with him for a Sunday League team a couple of years ago and he’s what we needed, a big target man upfront.”
Reet’s hat-trick at Hepworth United last Saturday as Ecclesfield won 5-4.
Ecclesfield conceded three late-on and one of their players even forgot the score-line.
“The left-back came back in the dressing room and wondered why people were smiling,” he said.
“Hepworth literally scored on the whistle and he thought it was 4-4.
“We were like ‘what are you on about, it was 5-4’.
“He went ‘oh I lost track, I wondered why they weren’t celebrating much’.
“We were cruising after 50 minutes and we were 5-1 up.
“We were absolutely brilliant.
“We had a couple of chances to make it six or seven and the ‘keeper has made a couple of good saves.
“I don’t know if you have been to Hepworth but it is on a steep hill and they know what they are doing on there.
“They got a couple of goals at the end which took the gloss off it because it was never as close as 5-4.
“5-4 sounds like we have hung on but we were pretty comfortable.
“Lapses in concentration have allowed them to get three goals.”
Ecclesfield are due to finish 2021 with a home game against High Green Villa tomorrow and Wragg agrees his fourth-placed side go into a Christmas with a positive outlook as it stands.
“We’re one of the only teams who have played in the last couple of weeks,” he said.
“That’s allowed us to creep up the table.
“Since I last spoke to you we have won all three games.
“We have done well and the table is looking a bit better.
“I know we have played a game or two more than some of the other teams around us but we’re on a good run at the moment and scoring a lot of goals.
“I think we’re now the second highest goal-scorers behind Swinton.”